Second Time Around
Member
I haven't posted for a few years, although I read posts occasionally. Things have been much better for several years, but sadly no longer.
Our Difficult Child has had mental health issues and neurological issues since birth. It took several years to get an appropriate diagnosis and he was in residential care for a year when he was 8 and again when he was 10. Before he was in residential care and started on medications for bipolar disorder, he was stealing change and small bills from family members. We couldn't prove it as we never caught him in the act. However, several family members had money missing from wallets and change jars, so it was obviously occurring.
He hasn't done anything like this for 8 years. However, this spring, it started again. Again, we haven't caught him, but my husband has had small bills missing from his wallet. Last night I got $20 in change back from the grocery store on my way home. I had two $10 bills in my wallet. I was home all evening, but left my purse in the living room where Difficult Child was watching videos on the couch when I went outside to work in the yard. This morning after he had left for school, I stopped by the store and found only one $10 bill there. So, I know he took it. He denies taking any money from his dad. Husband and I are meeting tonight to try to figure out what to do next.
He's 17, and very intelligent, but emotionally and socially more like a 10 year old. He has always had very poor impulse control, particularly around money and food choices. He just got a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant a couple of months ago and has spent every penny on junk food and even overdrawn his account. He also lost his cell phone last month and we made him pay us $50 before we would buy another one as we still owed $180 on it. Now I'm thinking that he probably stole the money from us to pay us the $50. Or to just keep buying junk food every day.
We're planning on locking our wallets and credit cards in a safe and hiding the key. We're not sure what else to do at this point.
Our Difficult Child has had mental health issues and neurological issues since birth. It took several years to get an appropriate diagnosis and he was in residential care for a year when he was 8 and again when he was 10. Before he was in residential care and started on medications for bipolar disorder, he was stealing change and small bills from family members. We couldn't prove it as we never caught him in the act. However, several family members had money missing from wallets and change jars, so it was obviously occurring.
He hasn't done anything like this for 8 years. However, this spring, it started again. Again, we haven't caught him, but my husband has had small bills missing from his wallet. Last night I got $20 in change back from the grocery store on my way home. I had two $10 bills in my wallet. I was home all evening, but left my purse in the living room where Difficult Child was watching videos on the couch when I went outside to work in the yard. This morning after he had left for school, I stopped by the store and found only one $10 bill there. So, I know he took it. He denies taking any money from his dad. Husband and I are meeting tonight to try to figure out what to do next.
He's 17, and very intelligent, but emotionally and socially more like a 10 year old. He has always had very poor impulse control, particularly around money and food choices. He just got a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant a couple of months ago and has spent every penny on junk food and even overdrawn his account. He also lost his cell phone last month and we made him pay us $50 before we would buy another one as we still owed $180 on it. Now I'm thinking that he probably stole the money from us to pay us the $50. Or to just keep buying junk food every day.
We're planning on locking our wallets and credit cards in a safe and hiding the key. We're not sure what else to do at this point.